A Hong Kong Day under a Sunny Chicago sky

For more information, please contact:
Melissa Ng /David Hsieh at 212-752-3320
Daniel McAtee at 202-238-6360
Wing Yan Tong at 415-835-9315

Chicago, IL, May 19, 2009 - Chicago City’s most populous Daley Plaza was packed with visitors today (May 19, Chicago time) as Donald Tong, Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs, USA, officially launched a series of Hong Kong folk art programmes, which has since Monday, May 18, been staged in the plaza.

The folk art programmes include a lion dance, Chinese music performance, Chinese musical instrument demonstrations, Chinese calligraphy demonstration, a video presentation of “Dynamic Hong Kong”, and Chinese cooking lectures. A games booth was also set up to entertain children who patronize the community event on the day.

Welcoming the audience, Mr. Tong said, “As ‘Asia’s world city,’ Hong Kong has always been a place that celebrates diversity and multiculturalism. We are one of the best examples of the East meeting the West, as evident in our history, cityscape, freedom, political and economic structure, and last but not the least, our culture.

“Hong Kong like the U.S. is a community that thrives on a mixed culture, and it is this diversity that affords us the dimensions and versatility to create our own unique yet fascinating culture and makes our people stands out among nations of the world.”

The community event, part of the Hong Kong Comes to Chicago 2009 festival, is co-presented by the Chicago Commission for Human Relations to celebrate the Asian Pacific Heritage Month.

The Hong Kong Comes to Chicago 2009 is hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York. The month-long festival celebrates Hong Kong’s creativity, entrepreneurship and cultural and economic vitality through an array of art and cultural events, ranging from film series, music concert to gallery talks, to the Chicago audience.